Pill in Development Could Transform Weight Loss Treatment, as Experts Urge Caution with Compounded Drugs

A new weight loss pill, Orforglipron, could soon offer an alternative to injectable drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Researchers from Eli Lilly say their once-daily pill, now in development, would be the first of its kind, aiming to make treatment simpler and more affordable.

GLP-1 medications, originally used to treat type 2 diabetes, have expanded into weight loss in recent years. Injectable versions have gained fast popularity, but the industry may now shift again.

“Once thousands and tens of thousands of patients start using them, I think we'll learn more about how well they work, what potential side effects there are,” Tom Sonnanstine, MD, medical director for bariatric surgery at OhioHealth, told 10TV reporter Kristen McFarland.

A pill could be more appealing and cost-effective for patients.

“You don't have the injector, you don't have the storage issues and all the nuances and extra expense that goes with it,” Dr. Sonnanstine said. Still, he noted a trade-off: “You've got to take the medication every day, or maybe multiple times a day, versus once a week.”

Eli Lilly hopes to seek FDA approval in 2026. Experts warn, however, that weight loss still requires time and commitment.

“Most patients will realize pretty quickly that it's not a quick fix, and that if that's their intention, they'll realize, hey, this takes a little bit of time, sometimes a lot of time to lose the weight,” Dr. Sonnanstine said.

Meanwhile, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is warning more than a dozen medical spas statewide about misleading claims about compounded weight loss drugs or custom versions of brand-name medications.

“It's almost become the Wild Wild West, as far as so many med spas and so many compounding pharmacies that have just popped up, seemingly out of nowhere, because the demand is there,” Dr. Sonnanstine told NBC4 anchor and reporter Cierra Johnson.

Compounded drugs might sometimes fill an important medical need, but they are not approved by the FDA. Yost’s office warned that marketing these products as FDA-approved is potentially dangerous.

“It's not necessarily formulated, compounded in the same environment or with the same standards that you will see with the drug company, the manufactured drug that's FDA approved,” Dr. Sonnanstine said.

Yost’s office sent warning letters to 14 med spas across Ohio, including four in Central Ohio. Sonnanstine said patients should take responsibility for knowing what they are being prescribed.

“I think responsibility is always on the patient to know what they're getting, even if it's a regular FDA approved pharmaceutical.”

Experts continue to urge patients to seek advice from trusted medical professionals rather than relying on advertisements or quick-fix promises because real, lasting health improvements require more than just a quick fix.

To view the original 10TV story, click here.

To view the original NBC4 story, click here.